LITHIUM: A federal judge orders land managers to reconsider part of their approval of Nevada’s proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine, but rejects environmentalist and Indigenous groups’ claims the project would unnecessarily impact the environment. (Reuters)
UTILITIES:
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls on federal regulators to probe wholesale natural gas price increases in Western states. (Los Angeles Times)
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis calls on utilities and state regulators to collaborate on reducing residents’ natural gas and electricity costs. (Center Square)
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OIL & GAS: An oil industry-backed referendum that would reverse a California drilling setback law qualifies for the 2024 ballot, suspending the rules’ implementation until after the vote. (Inside Climate News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Washington state officials predict the state, which currently exports a chunk of produced electricity, will need to import power by 2050 if it succeeds in replacing gasoline-powered cars with electric vehicles. (Crosscut)
CLIMATE: California researchers find nitrogen pollution from fossil fuel combustion can cause soil in arid places to release rather than store carbon.
(Press-Enterprise)
SOLAR:
• A California developer asks the Biden administration to remove 2,000 acres from a planned national monument in southern Nevada to allow a proposed 400 MW solar installation to move forward. (E&E News)
• Energy analysts predict developers will add 4.2 GW of solar power capacity in California this year. (S&P Global)
WIND: Idaho Gov. Brad Little and the state’s congressional delegation urge federal land managers to address residents’ concerns regarding the 400 turbine Lava Ridge wind project proposed for the southern part of the state. (Magic Valley Times-News)
GRID:
• Residential solar and battery installer Sunrun partners with Pacific Gas & Electric to create a virtual power plant in northern California with up to 7,500 members. (Energy Storage News)
• California advocates launch a coalition to promote a proposed Western regional transmission organization and provide “a framework for tapping into vast … clean energy supplies across the West.” (news release)
BIOFUELS: The Port of Seattle agrees to purchase natural gas produced with landfill waste from Puget Sound Energy, saying it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions almost in half. (news release)
NUCLEAR: California regulators seek public comment on the proposal to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operating beyond its scheduled 2025 retirement date. (news release)
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BATTERIES:
• A California startup repurposes more than 1,000 used electric vehicle batteries into a 25 MWh grid-scale energy storage facility. (Axios)
• Nevada lithium and battery companies launch a coalition to support and promote the state’s energy storage industries. (news release)
COMMENTARY: An Idaho energy attorney urges residents to evaluate the proposed Lava Ridge wind facility based on facts derived from environmental analyses, not preconceived notions. (Idaho Capital Sun)
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